08 May 2024

Reported by the BBC High visitor numbers are turning one of Britain’s most scenic lakes green, researchers say. A report funded by the UK space agency suggests a link between peak tourist periods and algal blooming at Windermere in the Lake District. Algal blooming is caused by warm temperatures and nutrients, and can make the […]

01 May 2024

Interesting article in Smart Water Magazine, which looks at the implications of the new EU wastewater directive, approved by the European Parliament in April this year. The Directive covers the treatment requirements for the removal of micropollutants, i.e., substances present in very low concentrations. It proposes their removal through quaternary treatment in Article 8, mandatory […]

24 Apr 2024

A Guardian investigation has spoken to whistleblowers who say UK water companies are knowingly failing to treat legally required amounts of sewage, and that some treatment works are manipulating wastewater systems to divert raw sewage away from the works and into rivers and seas. It is well known that water companies are dumping large volumes […]

22 Jan 2024

The National Engineering Policy Centre has initiated a new project considering engineering interventions to mitigate the public health risks posed by wastewater pollution of rivers, in-land and coastal waters across the UK. Recreational users of natural bodies of water – including rivers, in-land and coastal waters – are potentially at risk from pollution caused by […]

10 Jan 2024

In this Vancouver suburb, innovative technology is harnessing heat from wastewater and using it as a renewable energy source to heat homes. In the midst of winter, the streets of Vancouver will be carpeted with a light layer of snow, punctuated by steaming openings where it has already melted. The access holes to the drains […]

18 Oct 2023

The Defra press release highlights UK-wide consultation launched to ban wet wipes containing plastic Proposed ban will tackle plastic pollution in marine environment and reduce microplastics entering wastewater treatment plants Proposal delivers on the UK Government’s Plan for Water, delivering more investment, stronger regulation and tougher enforcement across the water system A consultation on banning wet wipes […]

13 Sep 2023

That is the finding of biologists at Goethe University Frankfurt, who say effluents from wastewater treatment plants have a dual effect: some species disappear, while others increase in number. The impact of effluent is especially noticeable with certain insect species, such as stonefly and caddisfly larvae, which are decimated. By contrast, certain worms and crustaceans, […]